Previous Next August 20, 2025 WRITTEN BY: QUENTIN While it’s true we are about to enter film festival season, when most eventual award winners start trickling out, something else is also brewing. Football is back, baby! Despite me being a massive fan of both movies and football, I’m not entirely sure where the overlap is between the two fandoms. However, I’d venture to say that most football fans probably enjoy movies about football. I’d also bet that many of those individuals play fantasy football. That’s where I come in… With the NFL season starting in a few weeks, most fantasy players are doing fantasy draft prep, myself included. But I’m also preparing for multiple film festivals. I recently applied to both Zurich and Sundance Film Festivals (among others), which means I need to look ahead to what their slates might be so I know what movies to prioritize. Meanwhile, I’ve long been studying which NFL players might be a breakout, bust, or sleeper this season. In splitting my research time between movies and fantasy football, the two lines of thinking merged, prompting the following question: Who would be on my Fictional Fantasy Football Team? The rules are simple… 1. Only fictional football players, television or film. That means no players based on real people, so no one from the likes of Remember the Titans or Invincible . 2. To maintain some variety, no two players from the same movie. Otherwise, I might end up drafting everyone from Any Given Sunday . 3. I’m limiting myself to movies and series that I’ve seen, which means there might be some glaring omissions, in your opinion. For example, I never watched NBC’s Friday Night Lights , so no Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) or Brian “Smash” Williams (Gaius Charles). 4. Obviously, comparing high school players to NFL players is a fool’s errand, so I’m working with the general caveat that “all things are created equal,” meaning all fictional players are playing in the same league. Frankly, there just aren’t enough football movies to make this work otherwise. A stud high school player in Varsity Blues is the same as a stud professional in The Replacements . Also, I’m assuming all players are in their prime. 5. I’m going with the standard lineup: QB, RB, RB, WR, WR, TE, FLEX, K, DST. Also, this is a PPR league (point per reception). 6. Lastly, I’m obviously not drafting against anyone else, so this team, in my eyes, is the best team available based on the rules above. Now, to quote Hank Williams, Jr., “are you ready for some FOOTBALLLLLLLLL!?!?!” QUARTERBACK: PAUL “WRECKING” CREWE, THE LONGEST YARD Specifically, I’m talking about the 1974 version of the character played by Burt Reynolds, not the 2005 version played by Adam Sandler. Nothing against Sandler, but Reynolds was a scholarship football player at Florida State, so his Crewe clearly has a more athletic build and probably better skillset than Sandler’s Crewe. Plus, real talk, quarterbacks in the 70s were just tougher than they are today. That notwithstanding, in his one on-screen game, he (eventually) shows composure, grit, determination, and leadership as he wills his team back from a 35-13 deficit against a dirty team not playing by the rules. He demonstrates incredible accuracy, the ability to make plays with his legs, and a solid game IQ. He’s also a former NFL MVP, so the talent is there to be an elite fantasy QB. RUNNING BACK: JULIAN “J-MAN” WASHINGTON, ANY GIVEN SUNDAY Look, I get that Julian Washington (LL Cool J) is a diva and one of the most selfish football players in on-screen history. However, this is a fantasy squad. I just need him to rack up yards and touchdowns, not be a positive locker room presence. For one, he’s stout at 6’2”, 230lbs. For comparison, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley, who had a league-leading 2,283 total yards and 14 total touchdowns in 2024, is 6’, 234lbs. On top of that, Washington is a proven league-leading RB, having rushed for 1,500 yards the year before joining the Miami Sharks. He also has a reputation for constantly trying to get paid. Sure, that means his own head coach called him a “mercenary,” but it also means he’s doing everything in his power to hit all his incentive clauses and set up his next contract in free agency. In fantasy, that sort of selfishness wins championships. RUNNING BACK: RAY JENNINGS, DRAFT DAY We don’t have a ton of game film on Ray Jennings (Arian Foster), but there are a few anecdotes that make him a worthy RB2. We know that in his final season at Florida State, he had more than 2,000 total yards and finished as a Heisman finalist, which was enough to get him drafted #7 overall. We also know that his dad, Earl Jennings (Terry Crews) was an NFL legend, so there are good genes at play. Lastly, we know the actor portraying Jennings, former NFL RB Foster, was a dual-threat fantasy stud before injuries derailed his career. With the idea that actors put themselves into their characters, it’s not a giant leap to think Jennings could produce much like Foster did in his heyday, notching three All-Pro teams and four Pro-Bowls while leading the NFL in rushing touchdowns twice. WIDE RECEIVER: ROD TIDWELL, JERRY MAGUIRE Podcaster Bill Simmons once estimated that Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding, Jr.) had about 1,550 yards on 110 catches over the course of the season in Jerry Maguire . That is elite production, especially in 1996. For comparison, in real life, the most receptions in 1996 belonged to Jerry Rice (108) and the most receiving yards belonged to Isaac Bruce (1,338). So, yeah, he would have been the league’s best wideout. Although he is a bit undersized, he makes up for it with his intensity, competitiveness, and “kwan,” showing elite speed, great hands, and complete reliability as both a deep threat and a player who isn’t afraid to go across the middle. I could go on, but honestly, the estimated numbers speak for themselves. Tidwell is a first-round talent. WIDE RECEIVER: DEACON MOSS, THE LONGEST YARD You might think this is a cheat, but I said, “no two players from the same movie.” The Longest Yard (1974) and The Longest Yard (2005) are scientifically proven to be two separate movies. In fact, Deacon Moss (Michael Irvin) isn’t even a character in the original. Therefore, we’re good. In any case, Moss is a big-bodied, physical wideout that dominates defensive backs to make tough catches in traffic, and his incredible hands make him an indispensable offensive weapon. There is much we could speculate about how Moss would translate prison-yard skills to the NFL, but much like Ray Jennings, we have a perfect real-life parallel. Irvin, known as “The Playmaker,” was a three-time All-Pro and five-time Pro-Bowler who averaged almost 1,300 yards, 83 receptions, and seven touchdowns per season during his prime. The dude is an NFL Hall of Famer, and these numbers aren’t out of reach for Moss, whose inclusion is a no-brainer. When paired with Tidwell, that’s a 1-2 fantasy punch at WR that would be untouchable. TIGHT END: BRIAN MURPHY, THE REPLACEMENTS Much like real fantasy football, TE is slim pickings in fictional fantasy football too. After much research, Brian Murphy (David Denman) is the only fictional TE I could find with any usable profile. All evidence points to him having been a first-round talent if only he weren’t deaf, which is a good start. Former NFL fullback Derrick Coleman, also deaf, has shown that the hearing-impaired can have some NFL success. So, why not Murphy? He has the size and hands to be, if nothing else, a decent target in the red zone, as demonstrated by catching the game-winning, playoff-clinching touchdown against the Dallas Knights. At worst, he’s probably touchdown dependent, but that is all you can really hope for with most TEs, anyway. FLEX: BUDDY, AIR BUD: GOLDEN RECEIVER Wherever I happen to be as you’re reading this right now, just know that I can feel you rolling your eyes into another dimension. Just hear me out… First, yes, Buddy (Rush, Chase, Zak, and Chance) is a dog, but he’s also a multi-sport star. Name another athlete that has proven to be competitively successful in football, basketball, soccer, baseball, and volleyball. Second, name one person who could keep up with a golden retriever that runs the 40-yard dash in about 2.7 seconds. Given his speed and agility, Buddy is a matchup nightmare. Plus, it’s noted that he could run a marathon, so he has endurance too. As it pertains to football, specifically, he averages at least three touchdowns per game with zero drops. In the championship game alone, he has at least 140 rushing yards, 100 receiving yards, and three touchdowns. He averages 40 yards after the catch! You may think it’s silly to include him here, but those are Madden numbers, making for an unstoppable flex. It remains to be seen if he would be the highest scoring player in all of fantasy, but he’ll almost certainly be a very good boy, nevertheless. KICKER: LUCY DRAPER, NECESSARY ROUGHNESS Lucy Draper (Kathy Ireland), a soccer player, is essentially the only offensive threat on a terrible team, which means since drives will inevitably stall in enemy territory, she will be inundated with field goal chances. She has also shown the ability to split the uprights in the driving rain and from distance with the game on the line, demonstrating the type of clutch poise that would make Ray Finkle jealous. Let’s not forget that she also stood up to an opposing player in tremendous fashion after being taunted for being a woman in a “man’s game,” so she’s got the moxie typical of most successful football players. DEFENSE/SPECIAL TEAMS: UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, FORREST GUMP I admit, this one may be a cheat. Yes, I said no real people, but even as I recognize the University of Alabama is a real team, I’m drafting it for a very specific and very fictional reason: Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks). If you don’t play fantasy football, you may not know that, in addition to scoring fantasy points based on how many real points your fantasy defense gave up in a real game, you usually get points for kickoff and punt return yards and touchdowns too. Gump was a machine on that front, even becoming an All-American for seemingly doing little else but returning kickoffs for touchdowns (in the movie, at least). Now, Gump attended Alabama from 1959 to 1963. I don’t know anything else about the rest of Alabama’s team in the world of Forrest Gump , but in real life, Alabama went 38-4-1 during that time, including winning the national title in 1961 when they only gave up 25 total points in 11 games. I also know that Gump had six kickoff returns for touchdowns in his first season (both the real-life NCAA and NFL record is four in a season), one of which was for 99 yards. Lastly, in 2024, the average touchdowns scored by a DST was 1.6 (the Denver Broncos had the most with five). That includes touchdowns stemming from interceptions, fumble recoveries, kickoff returns, and punt returns. If Gump can continue breaking return touchdown records while racking up return yards in support of an apparently stout defensive unit, that creates a significant advantage over every other team.

Previous Next December 10, 2023 WRITTEN BY: ADRIANO This year sees the Golden Globes take one of their biggest shake ups since… well, last year, when they had another big shakeup. For the 81st Golden Globes, which take place on January 7th, 2024, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (or HFPA), the usual voting body for the Golden Globes, has been disbanded. Since then, Dick Clark Productions and Eldridge Industries have acquired the awards show, and expanded the voting body from 200 voters to 300 while championing a 60% racially and ethnically diverse contingent of voters. Alongside the voting change, a new category has been added to the film side, the controversial Cinematic and Box-Office Achievement Award, and most interestingly enough, the categories’ nomination count has been expanded from five slots to six. With that, many questions arise as to what the Golden Globes will look like this year. We’ll likely see the films we expect to dominate the awards season going forward to do well here, such as Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon , Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things , and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro . And of course, “Barbenheimer” is highly expected to dominate on both sides of the aisle with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer on the dramatic side and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie on the musical/comedy side. The bigger questions are reserved for the fringe contenders, such as Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall , or even Blitz Bazawule’s The Color Purple . The Color Purple , in particular, because in other years, a crowd-pleasing musical would likely annihilate at the Golden Globes; however, with this new voting body, while I personally find it likely the film will receive nominations, will it receive as many nominations as one would expect? As for an international title like Anatomy of a Fall or Jonathan Glazer’s The Zone of Interest , will these types of titles fare better than they have in the past with the new voting body? Either way, for many titles, this will be the jumping-off point for the rest of the awards season. I highly expect Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction and Celine Song’s Past Lives to cement their spots in the Best Picture race, but for other titles, I’m more interested in whether or not they will get the platform to show that they are here to stay. Titles such as Ben Affleck’s Air , Todd Haynes’ May December , Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla , and Sean Durkin’s The Iron Claw are where we can see who means business and who will be missing out on awards season altogether. All that said, I’m just excited that awards season is officially upon us, so get ready… because the Golden Globes are about to fire the starting gun! Side note: For the sake of clarity and due to a lack of understanding at this point in time, I’ve decided not to focus on the television side, so this will only focus on the film side of the Golden Globes. Without further ado, here are my predictions: Best Motion Picture - Drama OPPENHEIMER KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON MAESTRO ANATOMY OF A FALL PAST LIVES THE IRON CLAW Alt: PRISCILLA Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama Carey Mulligan - MAESTRO Sandra Hüller - ANATOMY OF A FALL Lily Gladstone - KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Cailee Spaeny - PRISCILLA Greta Lee - PAST LIVES Annette Bening - NYAD Alt: Teyana Taylor - A THOUSAND AND ONE Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama Cillian Murphy - OPPENHEIMER Bradley Cooper - MAESTRO Leonardo DiCaprio - KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Colman Domingo - RUSTIN Zac Efron - THE IRON CLAW Andrew Scott - ALL OF US STRANGERS Alt: Adam Driver - FERRARI Outstanding Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy BARBIE POOR THINGS THE HOLDOVERS AMERICAN FICTION THE COLOR PURPLE MAY DECEMBER Alt: WONKA Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy Emma Stone - POOR THINGS Margot Robbie - BARBIE Natalie Portman - MAY DECEMBER Fantasia Barrino - THE COLOR PURPLE Jennifer Lawrence - NO HARD FEELINGS Ayo Edebiri - BOTTOMS Alt: Eve Hewson - FLORA AND SON Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical/Comedy Paul Giamatti - THE HOLDOVERS Jeffrey Wright - AMERICAN FICTION Timothee Chalamet - WONKA Nicolas Cage - DREAM SCENARIO Jason Schwartzman - ASTEROID CITY Gael Garcia Bernal - CASSANDRO Alt: Matt Damon - AIR Best Performance by a Supporting Actress in Any Motion Picture Danielle Brooks - THE COLOR PURPLE Da’Vine Joy Randolph - THE HOLDOVERS Emily Blunt - OPPENHEIMER Taraji P. Henson - THE COLOR PURPLE Penelope Cruz - FERRARI Jodie Foster - NYAD Alt: America Ferrera - BARBIE Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in Any Motion Picture Ryan Gosling - BARBIE Robert Downey Jr. - OPPENHEIMER Mark Ruffalo - POOR THINGS Willem Dafoe - POOR THINGS Robert De Niro - KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Charles Melton - MAY DECEMBER Alt: Dominic Sessa - THE HOLDOVERS Best Director Christopher Nolan - OPPENHEIMER Yorgos Lanthimos - POOR THINGS Martin Scorsese - KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Greta Gerwig - BARBIE Bradley Cooper - MAESTRO Justine Triet - ANATOMY OF A FALL Alt: Alexander Payne - THE HOLDOVERS Best Screenplay Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach - BARBIE Tony McNamara - POOR THINGS David Hemingson - THE HOLDOVERS Christopher Nolan - OPPENHEIMER Celine Song - PAST LIVES Eric Roth and Martin Scorsese - KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Alt: Cord Jefferson - AMERICAN FICTION Best Motion Picture - Animated SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE ELEMENTAL THE BOY AND THE HERON TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM NIMONA CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET Alt: THE PEASANTS Best Motion Picture - Non-English Language ANATOMY OF A FALL SOCIETY OF THE SNOW THE TASTE OF THINGS PERFECT DAYS THE BOY AND THE HERON THE ZONE OF INTEREST Alt: THE TEACHER’S LOUNGE Best Original Score Ludwig Göransson - OPPENHEIMER Robbie Robertson - KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON Daniel Pemberton - SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen - PAST LIVES Thomas Newman - ELEMENTAL John Williams - INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY Alt: Jerskin Fendrix - POOR THINGS Best Original Song I’m Just Ken - BARBIE (Written by: Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt) What Was I Made For? - BARBIE (Written by: Billie Eilish O’Connell and Finneas O’Connell) Keep it Movin’ - THE COLOR PURPLE (Written by: Halle Bailey, Denisia Andrews, Brittany Coney, and Morten Ristorp) Am I Dreaming - SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE (Written by: Mike Dean, Peter Lee Johnson, Rakim Mayers, Roisee, Landon Wayne, and Leland Wayne) A World of Your Own - WONKA (Written by: Neil Hannon) High Life - FLORA AND SON (Written by: Gary Clark, John Carney, and Eve Hewson) Alt: Can’t Catch Me Now - THE HUNGER GAMES: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES (Written by: Dan Nigro and Olivia Rodrigo) Cinematic and Box-Office Achievement Award BARBIE OPPENHEIMER SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 JOHN WICK CHAPTER 4 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES: MUTANT MAYHEM THE LITTLE MERMAID ELEMENTAL Alt: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - DEAD RECKONING PART 1 Photo Credits: Warner Bros. 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INVINCIBLE: SEASON FOUR Starring: Steven Yeun, Sandra Oh, J.K. Simmons, Walton Goggins, Seth Rogen, and Gillian Jacobs Creators: Robert Kirkman, Ryan Ottley, and Cory Walker AMARÚ Invincible 's previous seasons had trouble keeping mid-season momentum due to juggling multiple storylines and a cavalcade of characters. Liking those characters, along with amazing action and animation, always kept enough goodwill to make it through each time. Now I see that the early seasons’ foundation set up Season Four to be Invincible ’s best by a long shot. What used to be disparate plot points are now coalescing into a well-threaded intertwining of layered players coming together to create the most emotionally resonant and epic season to date. Plus, the action gets more “oh shit” worthy with each subsequent episode. PAIGE Invincible : Season Four continues to be an action-packed rollercoaster that’s emotionally charged and bloody as all hell. With this season heavily focusing on the Viltrumite war, the story expands in both scope and scale which also leads to some of the most impactful character beats the show has offered thus far. As per usual, the voiceover work here is strong, but I have to point out that some of the animation this season was a bit lackluster in quite a few notable scenes. Despite that and a few pacing issues here and there, this season delivered some of the best episodes from the series to date. KATIE The story in this season of Invincible has been more focused, and subsequently more compelling than previous ones, and it continues its exploration into Mark’s (Steven Yeun) internal struggles and his relationships. However, this usually visually engaging show is held back by the disappointing quality of the visuals and some lacklustre vocal performances. The static-looking animation lacks energy, creativity, and momentum. Some of the action is brutal, as usual, but it is badly choreographed and often falls flat, so it just lacks impact overall. Let's hope the next season spends less on celebrity voice actors and more on the animation. Check out our reviews for Season Three HERE .

THE RESIDENCE Starring: Uzo Aduba, Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito, Susan Kelechi Watson, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Edwina Findley, Mel Rodriguez, Molly Griggs, Bronson Pinchot, Jason Lee, Jane Curtin, Al Franken, and Ken Marino Creator: Paul William Davies AMARÚ I’ve seen The Residence ’s playbook dozens of times: murder mystery in a high stakes location, a quirky investigator, and a multitude of colorful suspects. Give me that vibe a dozen more times too if it’s this entertaining. I want Uzo Aduba’s Cordelia Cupp to be named amongst the Benoit Blancs and Hercule Poirots. I need Heather Capps, John Daigle, Ali Greer, and Roger Nygard to understand how essential their editing was to the pitch-perfect comedic timing. I have to impart that I don’t care what flaws this show has (some bits last too long) because this is exactly, perfectly, my shit. Five reels. QUENTIN Full disclosure: given that The Residence is from Shondaland, I almost ignored it. However, I’m a sucker for movies like Knives Out and Clue , so curiosity won me over. Whatever it lacks in originality — it has all the stereotypical hallmarks of the eccentric “world’s best” detective, quirky suspects galore, red herrings, and the like — it makes up for in charm, the performance of Uzo Aduba, and her chemistry with Randall Park. It’s certainly not without its flaws, as a few of the quirks are too quirky and there are some asides that don’t add much, but this is nonetheless a winner for light-hearted murder mystery fans.

BARRY: SEASON THREE Starring: Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Henry Winkler, and, Sarah Burns Creators: Alec Berg and Bill Hader ADRIANO Barry continues to be one of, if not the , best show on television. Bill Hader is an absolute juggernaut of talent, giving an all-time performance while also doing an absolutely stunning job as director. The entire cast is superb and the writing is ridiculously brilliant too. The show obviously goes to absurdly dark territories, but it’s still a comedy (and a very funny one at that, finale aside); However, it never feels like it’s juggling two different tones. This season has somehow topped two already perfect seasons, and I can’t wait to see what Season Four brings. QUENTIN When focusing on Barry (Bill Hader) or Mr. Cousineau (Henry Winkler), this show is compelling, seriously dark, and often hilarious. Hader does a phenomenal job of making you root for Barry even though he’s actually quite fucked up in the head. However, this season doesn’t know what to do with Sally (Sarah Goldberg) or Fuches (Stephen Root), and the narrative slows whenever it switches to their respective subplots. Worst of all, there isn’t nearly enough NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan), an all-time great character. Don’t get me wrong, the show is still excellent, but the writers need to regroup a bit before starting Season Four.

BARRY: THE FINAL SEASON Starring: Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Henry Winkler, and Robert Wisdom Creators: Alec Berg and Bill Hader ADRIANO Barry has probably been my favourite show since its first season aired in 2018, and I’m so impressed with where Bill Hader and Alec Berg have taken the series relative to where it started. Bill Hader is easily the most exciting director working today, and his shift to straight-up horror in some scenes is a masterclass in the craft. The show’s themes about the performances we put on for ourselves and the ones we put on for the people around us is fully realized by the series' final moments, which makes for a purposefully unsatisfying but perfect finale. QUENTIN As terrific as the first three seasons of Barry are, my thoughts on the series’ fourth and final season are harder to define. Parts of it are exactly what you want and expect it to be, but once a confusing-in-the-moment time jump is revealed, the story loses some momentum. This is amplified by generally less humor than prior seasons, including not near enough NoHo Hank (Anthony Carrigan). The finale is where my real internal debate lies, though. I’ve gone from loving the final scenes to hating them in equal measure since I finished watching, which, admittedly, is fitting because leaving the audience conflicted is classic Barry .

THE DIPLOMAT: SEASON ONE Starring: Keri Russell, Rufus Sewell, David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Rory Kinnear, and Ato Essandoh Creator: Debora Cahn QUENTIN Falling somewhere between The West Wing and the latter seasons of Homeland , The Diplomat is an engaging political thriller that also is, somehow, a breezy watch about the machinations of international diplomacy. Keri Russell carries the show on her back, but that’s not to say the supporting cast or story are lacking - both are great. She just has an extremely watchable and relatable screen presence. There are a few soapy elements and very light hints of a “can she really have it all?” storyline, but nothing too forced or melodramatic; there is quite a bit of humor too. All in all, an enjoyable surprise.

Previous Next With the release of Men, the Bitesize crew has put their brains together to compile Bitesize Breakdown's consensus Top Five A24 Films. Each writer ranks his or her top 15 films in the category. Those lists are then weighted on a reverse point system. After all the points are tallied up, the entries with the most total points make up the Bitesize Top Five. 5. EIGHTH GRADE No one has understood millennial/gen-z angst and culture quite like Bo Burnham, and his feature debut, Eighth Grade , is proof of that ideal in movie form. Simultaneously sharp and awkward, the film flawlessly threads the line between the horrors of growing up and its most endearing discoveries. A24 was the perfect studio for Burnham to flex his writing and directing muscles, and frankly, few debuts have ever been more superb. - Jacob 4. MIDSOMMAR Although Ari Aster’s Hereditary feels like the film that put A24 on the horror map, this follow-up is no less commanding even as it’s completely different. Its bright colors and unique setting make it unlike any horror movie you’ve seen before, while the story still pays homage to classics like The Wicker Man . It's mesmerizing, haunting, bizarre, psychedelic, and the epitome of an unforgettable arthouse film that still has mainstream appeal. - Joseph 3. LADY BIRD In her directorial debut, Greta Gerwig crafts a relatable film that is both funny and heartbreaking. Lady Bird understands not only the qualms of navigating identity as a teenager, but also navigating familial relationships. Though featuring outstanding performances, it's Gerwig's script, which features flawed yet empathetic characters, that is front and centre, allowing the film to shine and resonate with audiences to a masterful degree. - Jasmine 2. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Honestly, Everything Everywhere All At Once may be one of the most creative and poignant movies ever. Writing/directing duo Daniels craft such a unique multiversal experience that is somehow an awesome action film, a side-splitting comedy, and a beautiful family drama all at the same time. A genuinely impressive accomplishment. - Adriano 1. EX MACHINA Although the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Ex Machina is Nathan Bateman and Kyoko (Oscar Isaac and Sonoya Mizuno, respectively) “tearing up the fucking dance floor,” that in no way diminishes the heady themes, taut story, beautiful profundity, and engaging performances on display in Alex Garland’s directorial debut. I don’t think it's out of line to call Ex Machina one of the 21st century’s best science fiction movies. - Quentin HONORABLE MENTIONS THE GREEN KNIGHT ROOM HEREDITARY UNCUT GEMS X Photo Credits: A24

DEAD TO ME: THE FINAL SEASON Starring: Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, James Marsden, Diana Maria Riva, Brandon Scott, Sam McCarthy, Luke Roessler, and Garret Dillahunt Creator: Liz Feldman NICK Dead to Me was a great two-season series that really didn't need a third season, yet here we are. The writers find a way to keep the story going (including a hard left turn in the latter episodes), but it lacks the magic of the earlier seasons. That said, Linda Cardellini is just so great in this role, and her chemistry with Christina Applegate is among the best on television. All said and done, this series will be remembered for its unabashedly honest handling of grief underneath its central mystery and the heartfelt platonic love story it became. I’ll miss this one.

BILLIONS: SEASON SIX Starring: Corey Stoll, Paul Giamatti, Maggie Siff, Daniel Breaker, David Costabile, Asia Kate Dillon, Condola Rashad, Piper Perabo, Sakina Jaffrey, and Toney Goins Creator: Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin NICK With Damian Lewis departing at the end of Season Five, there was a question of where Billions would go next. The majority of this season is spent laying the groundwork to answer that, as well as fleshing out Mike Prince (Corey Stoll), the new main character. Sadly, it's far from perfect. Maggie Siff, Dan Soder, and Kelly AuCoin are all underused, while Chuck's (Paul Giamatti) motivations are questionable to say the least. That said, it survives without Lewis. By season's end, you realize this year has been all about setting the table for what’s to come, and what’s coming is certainly interesting. QUENTIN In a post-Axe (Damian Lewis) world, Billions is still a good show, but it’s not the same show. The problem is that the lead character dynamics have shifted. Mike Prince (Corey Stoll, who is great in the role) isn’t as unscrupulous as Axe, which gives Chuck (Paul Giamatti) little reason to take him down. This leaves us with a petty Chuck waging unjustified wars with Prince because, to Chuck, simply being a billionaire is inherently bad. While I understand the topicality of that sentiment, it means the Prince-Chuck battles lack the teeth and over-the-topness as the Axe-Chuck battles, which makes this season feel slightly less…Billions -y?

CANDY Starring: Jessica Biel, Melanie Lynskey, Pablo Schreiber, Justin Timberlake, Timothy Simons, and Raúl Esparza Creators: Nick Antosca and Robin Veith QUENTIN In what feels like the 47th true crime miniseries I’ve reviewed in the past year, Candy at least takes a somewhat different approach to the genre. Instead of getting bogged down in the minutia of the murder investigation or sensationalizing the courtroom drama, it focuses on the events leading up to the central murder. In doing so, the show becomes more about the people involved and the possible causes than the actual incident. Coming at it from that angle, not to mention being a brief five episodes, helped keep me engaged even though I’m really starting to suffer from true crime fatigue.

Previous January 19, 2026 Next A BITESIZE CHAT WITH JONATHAN MEDINA Actor Jonathan Medina is back to talk with Amarú about becoming Mac Gargan, most well known as Scorpion, in the latest Disney+ series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man . Make sure to check out Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man now streaming on Disney+. Interview conducted on February 21st, 2025 by Amarú Moses.